Uber to Use “Selfie Tech” to Verify If Drivers Are Wearing Face Masks

Uber is one of those companies that has taken numerous steps to curb the spread of COVID-19 through social contact. We have seen the company deliver essentials amidst the global lockdown. Now, as the company is starting to operate in some countries after it suffered major loses due to the lockdowns, CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said that they will be using Uber’s “selfie technology” to verify if the driver-partners are wearing face masks or not.

The announcement comes from Khusrowshahi himself during the company’s earnings call last week. Earlier, the company shipped millions of face masks to driver-partners all around the world for safety measures. 

“We’re shipping millions of PPE and masks, cleaning supplies etc., to our drivers to make sure that first drive, and the second, and the continuing drives, that our riders are safe and they feel safe,”, said Khusrowshahi.

Now, after shutting down for a brief period due to the global lockdowns in place, the ride-hailing company is slowly coming back to business in some countries, including the US.

So, the company is planning to use the already-existing Real-Time ID Check to verify whether or not the drivers are wearing the face mask during their rides. This tool was introduced by the company’s Trust & Safety Program Team back in 2017 to verify the identity of the drivers to prevent frauds and ensure the safety of the riders.

This tool uses Microsoft’s Face API to detect and recognise faces of the driver-partners by using the selfie camera of the device. Now, the company will use this “selfie tech” to verify if the drivers (and the riders) are wearing necessary protective gears to prevent the spread of COV-19.

“We are looking at technologies such as, for example, our selfie technology where we make sure that the driver who signed up is the actual driver who is driving. We can use that technology, for example potentially, to make sure that the driver is wearing a mask where appropriate.”, stated the CEO.